Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has accused OpenAI of mimicking her distinctive voice for their AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT, without her consent. The controversy erupted following the unveiling of a new conversational interface for ChatGPT, featuring an expressive, synthetic voice eerily similar to Johansson’s portrayal of an AI assistant in the film “Her.”
According to Johansson’s statement, relayed through her publicist to various media outlets, including WIRED and NPR, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman approached her in September 2023 with an offer to voice the latest ChatGPT model. Johansson declined the offer, only to be astonished when the new voice for ChatGPT debuted last week, sounding strikingly similar to her own.
“When I heard the release demo I was shocked, angered, and in disbelief that Mr Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine that my closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference,” Johansson stated. The release of the voice coincided with a tweet from Altman that simply read “her,” a clear nod to Johansson’s role in “Her,” amplifying the resemblance and sparking widespread recognition and outrage.
In response to the uncanny similarity, Johansson’s legal team swiftly demanded an explanation from OpenAI regarding the creation of the new voice. Following the legal push, OpenAI announced they were pausing the use of the synthetic voice, named Sky, citing the need to address questions about how the voices were selected and created.
“Sky’s voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson but belongs to a different professional actress using her own natural speaking voice,” OpenAI stated in a blog post. Despite this assertion, the damage had been done, leading to a temporary suspension of Sky’s voice in their products. Altman apologized for the miscommunication, emphasizing that the voice actor behind Sky was hired before any outreach to Johansson and that the intent was never to mimic her specifically.
ALSO READ: OpenAI’s significant upgrade to ChatGPT, allowing it to access real-time internet data
At the heart of Johansson’s complaint is a demand for transparency. She seeks a detailed explanation from OpenAI on the process used to develop Sky’s voice, emphasizing the need for clear communication and ethical considerations in the deployment of such advanced technologies.
In a statement to The Verge, OpenAI CTO Mira Murati reiterated that Sky’s voice was not designed to sound like Johansson’s and that ongoing conversations were taking place with Johansson’s representatives to address their concerns.
“We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn’t communicate better,” Altman stated, acknowledging the need for improved dialogue and respect for individual rights in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI technology.